A secret military plant is being built near Slutsk — planning to produce 240 thousand shells annually for Russia's needs

Belarusian modification of BM-21B "BelGrad-2". Photo: Wikimedia Commons

Who is behind this

According to information received by "Belpol", the secret facility in the Slutsk district is being built through a specially created legal entity — CJSC "Plant of Body Products" (ZKV).

As became known from the received documents, two state-owned giants acted as founders of the enterprise: OJSC "Volatauto" and "Plant of Precision Electromechanics".

Although Alexander Lukashenka signed a secret order No. 181 on the creation of this facility in November 2023, active preparation, procurement of lines, and foreign business trips began at least half a year before the official order. To avoid danger, the plant's administration was located in the center of Minsk on Zakharova Street, 76, and Dmitry Korotkevich, former deputy director of "Volatauto", was appointed to manage the process. The completion of construction is planned for December 2026.

Павялічыць

Video screenshot: osbbelpol / YouTube

What is known about the construction site

The location for the future plant was chosen near the villages of Pavlovka and Shchishchytsy in the Slutsk district. In 1996, a fire occurred on the territory of the Center for the Disposal of Rocket Elements, which was located there at the time, resulting in the detonation of over 1200 conditional wagons of ammunition.

According to "Belpol", even decades later, this land remains dangerous. During the uprooting of stumps and removal of soil, builders continue to find unexploded ordnance by the dozens, which significantly hinders work. Sappers of the Ministry of Defense carry out only surface cleaning of the soil to a depth of 30 centimeters, while unexploded shells are located much deeper.

This has already led to classified incidents. In early December, during the loading of concrete waste into a crushing machine, an ammunition explosion and ignition of the crushing machine itself occurred, which almost cost the lives of the builders.

240 thousand shells annually for Russia's needs

According to the technical documentation, to which investigators gained access, the facility is designed for 50 years of operation. Its main task is the filling of shells with explosives and their assembly.

In the initial stage, the plant is to produce 120 thousand reactive shells for "Grad" systems (122 mm caliber) and 120 thousand artillery rounds of 152 mm caliber per year. Investigators point out that the sole customer for this production is Russia.

Павялічыць

Video screenshot: osbbelpol / YouTube

According to the received documents, the Russian joint-stock company "Technodinamika" provides the facility with a line for partial pressing of artillery shells and warheads for "Grad" missile systems.

In turn, on December 20, 2023, "Plant of Precision Electromechanics" concluded an agreement with the Chinese company China National Electronics Import & Export Corporation for the supply of a line for equipping the warhead of a 122 mm caliber reactive projectile.

Additionally, the Chinese company ALIT (Aerospace Long-March International Trade) has been involved in the process, which is responsible for the technological training of Belarusian personnel.

According to plans, the first equipment is to be delivered to the facility by April 2026, and Belarusian engineers are already undergoing training at similar production facilities in China and Russia.

Who else is involved in the project

However, the most pressing problem remains the lack of domestic chemical raw materials. Critical dependence on imports forces the search for suppliers of TNT and RDX in Iran and Pakistan. Minsk is trying to negotiate the transfer of "full-cycle" production technologies to create an autonomous explosives base in Belarus.

The Ministry of Industry and the State Military-Industrial Committee have been tasked with urgently mastering the technologies for producing explosives and gunpowder in Belarus. The concerns "Bellesbumprom" (Belarusian Timber, Paper, and Woodworking Industry Concern), "Belneftekhim" (Belarusian State Concern for Oil and Chemistry), and "Bellegprom" (Belarusian Light Industry Concern) have been involved in this work. A special role is assigned to the Orsha Linen Mill, which is to set up the production of cellulose raw materials for the further manufacture of gunpowder.

Specialists from the Institute of Chemistry of New Materials of the Academy of Sciences and the Belarusian State Technological University (BSTU) have been engaged for the scientific support of the project.

Directly at BSTU, a new specialty has been opened — "Chemical Technology of Energy-Rich Materials and Products". It includes two specialized areas: "technology of gunpowders, solid rocket fuels and products" and "technology of explosives and products". The first enrollment of students took place in 2025.

Павялічыць

Video screenshot: osbbelpol / YouTube

According to "Belpol", the Minsk Bearing Plant has already started preparing 152 mm caliber shell bodies, the Molodechno Powder Metallurgy Plant is setting up the production of fuses for reactive projectiles, and the plants "BMZ" (Belarusian Metallurgical Plant), "BelAZ" (Belarusian Automobile Plant), and "Legmash" are involved in the supply of mechanical components.

The investigation revealed that even the penitentiary system is included in the project: correctional colonies have organized the production of wooden crates for transporting finished ammunition.

• 0
• 1
• 1
• 3
• 5
• 1
• 23
• 0